


Fundamentally Damaged by Creepypastas

by wickedorin



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: AU, Androids, Creepypasta, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-09
Updated: 2013-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-29 21:24:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1010271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedorin/pseuds/wickedorin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written as a fill for a drabble request on AwaitingMassProduction: "H01, (cameos/mentions) Creepypasta narrators that you see fit; creepy, creepypasta, possibly comedic if you would like; H01 discovers creepypasta and in the name of research he watches narrations and reads it. Perhaps this gets Argente and others curious? Leading to shared creepy fun~!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fundamentally Damaged by Creepypastas

**Author's Note:**

> This all just kind of spilled out in an extremely general way. It did not go in the direction that I expected.

It wasn’t so unusual for Argente to wake up at sometime around 3:00 in the morning and be thirsty. He kept water by the bed for that purpose, saving him the trip down the stairs. Though it wasn’t unusual for him to peer down from the loft and see Kurou awake and charging while researching any number of things either, Asimov sleeping soundly beside him. It was a bit rarer for him to descend the stairs anyway, not sure what he was after but wanting the momentary company.  
  
When he got within just a few feet of the couch, however, the android hadn’t so much as turned to greet him. Those red eyes were wide and strangely _lacking_ for just long enough to frighten him—and then he was _really_ startled when they finally moved to acknowledge him, some strange spark of ‘life” coming back to the gaze. “What in the world are you doing, Kurou?”  
  
The answer was simplistic and absolute. “Attempting to discover the intricacies of human fear.”  
  
Argente was no less frightened than he had been just a moment before. “Um.”  
  
"Research." Kurou assured; and that certainly explained why his eyes had been distant and unmoving, reading dozens of documents at once online. "It is rather interesting, I think. What distinguishes horror from merely ‘creepy’; though that in itself is quite the intriguing subject. Ultimately, I am attempting to find an explanation as to why many humans seem to enjoy subjecting themselves to instinctual fear."  
  
Swallowing, he was starting to forget all about getting back to sleep as he slowly sat on the couch next to the android. “I.. didn’t know you had that kind of interest.”  
  
"Nor did I, until I had happened across various tales which fall under the category of ‘urban legend’. Following a great many links lead me to a slightly more modern form referred to as ‘creepypasta’. Many of these stories tend to elaborate upon seemingly simple subjects or mildly unusual photograph edits and ultimately render otherwise perfectly rational people into sleepless and frightened individuals. The effects can last for quite a long time, as well."  
  
"I’m not sure I want to know about all this…" Argente admitted.  
  
Kurou tilted his head, curious. “Will you lose sleep if something frightens you?”  
  
"I think everyone does. I mean… I think that’s normal." Swallowing, he couldn’t help but ask in a softer voice, "Right?"  
  
"It would seem to be quite common, yes." The android assured. "I will not introduce you to these things if you do not wish it. I would not want to frighten you."  
  
It was the way that Kurou had been researching the subject that really intrigued him. Completely caught up in it… “But they’re not… _real_ , right?”  
  
"They are not, no."  
  
Argente took a deep breath, leaning back into the couch a bit. “Then… maybe just a little.”  
  
He really didn’t sleep very much that night.  
  


* * *

  
Kurou hadn’t expected the call three evenings after he’d really begun delving into the “creepypasta” phenomenon. He greeted Kotetsu with the video turned on as he normally would, though he couldn’t quite help what he thought of as a slightly rude way to start the conversation, “You look as though you have not slept entirely well of late.”  
  
"I _haven’t_.” The man admitted, glancing around before leaning closer. “I haven’t felt like this since high school.”  
  
Processing for over a full second, making some attempt to gather sense or logic, the android finally admitted, “I am finding your words confusing.”  
  
"The creepypastas!" Kotetsu blurted.  
  
Tilting his head, Kurou inquired, “How did you become aware of them? Or have you followed them for some time?”  
  
Kotetsu’s lack of sleep became a little more obvious in the way he gestured, a quick and shaky throw of hands in the air. “Oh, um… well, ‘Tonio heard about it from Argie at the gym. And then he called me yesterday ‘cause he knows I used to be really into stuff like this. I, like, _enjoy_ it, but I guess Blue Rose and Ivan got kinda actually scared.”  
  
"Ah. I was not aware that the phenomenon would spread amongst Heroes."  
  
"Well I’m not sure about everyone else." The veteran Hero admitted. "I mean, Bison called and then hung up and I just kinda started searching… Haven’t really answered the phone or done much since then." He chuckled with a bit of sheepishness.  
  
"Kotetsu." Kurou began calmly. Logically. "How many have you read?"  
  
"Read? Dunno, lots. And listened to. And there’s some artwork too, y’know! But all kinds of things. Stuff about smiling and dolls and pictures—lots of things with weird pictures, and… and places and stuff." The half-conscious gesture spoke of very little sleep indeed.  
  
It seemed clear to the android that he should do what he could to lend help. “I believe that you really should attempt to sleep, Kotetsu.”  
  
"Oh you think this is bad, the cow hasn’t turned his lights off in two days." Kotetsu dismissed.  
  
"I hope that he has been sleeping, however." Kurou attempted.  
  
The man’s laughter was just a little faster and higher pitched than was completely normal for him. “Nah, he’s a scaredy cow.”  
  
The android already had several resources on sleep deprivation open. It really was fascinating, how many different ways individuals could be affected; but it seemed most important to encourage sleep rather than marvel over which symptoms were being experienced simultaneously. “Even so, Kotetsu. The works will still be there after you have slept properly.”  
  
"But that used to be half the fun! Staying up for as long as you could and looking up every creepy thing you possibly could—"  
  
"And at what age were you when this was occurring with regularity?" Kurou interrupted as politely as he could manage, the information seeming to be important.  
  
Kotetsu’s rapid blinking could almost be heard over the phone. “Ah, well. I was… younger…” He began to count on his fingers. Then stopped. Multiple times.  
  
Granted, math was not something that the veteran Hero was often capable of while fully awake, but that seemed to be another sign to pay attention to. “Kotetsu. Please sleep.”  
  
He responded with a snort. “You gonna call Bison and tell him to sleep, too?”  
  
"If necessary." It didn’t seem like it would be entirely too difficult to convince the man he needed to rest.  
  
Reaching into his pocket, Kotetsu then pulled out his phone. “Good, ‘cause he’s left me 38 messages.”  
  
Kurou believed that he was becoming more aware of what a “sinking feeling” truly did feel like. “I suppose that would signal some necessity.”  
  
Scrolling through his messages, Kotetsu frowned. “You might wanna call Rose and Ivan, too.”  
  
"This is quite an unexpected task." The android admitted, wondering how long it was going to take him to charge that night.  
  
"Yeah, well. And maybe Nathan. Just in case."  
  
"I do not believe that there will be any worry in regards to Big Sis." At least Kurou was mostly confident in that.  
  
"No? Why not?" The man asked, tipping ever so slightly to the left.  
  
"He has stated that the only things that scare him are broken nails. Go to sleep, Kotetsu." The android ordered to the best of his ability.  
  
The order got a laugh, but not an argument. “Alright, alright. I don’t need you calling Kaede on me.”  
  
"Only if I see any internet usage from your household within the next 8 hours." Kurou warned quite seriously.  
  
Apparently that struck some sense into the man, sobering him slightly. “Geez. Okay, okay, bed time for old Heroes.”  
  
"Thank you." The words were quite sincere. "I believe I will begin making calls, then. Good night, Kotetsu." When he only got a mutter and a wave in return, he was reasonably certain that the man truly was going to sleep.  
  
Disconnecting, Kurou had been prepared to dial Antonio when Argente made his way down the stairs. “What are you doing?”  
  
"Apparently calling all of the Heroes who have been indulging in creepypastas and telling them to go to sleep." The android answered with such ease and simplicity that the response itself became a bit more surreal.  
  
Argente just laughed. “Would you like to know my secret?”  
  
"What was that?" It would be helpful to have anything to "fall back on", after all. Even after having been quite shaken by his introduction to some of the more horrifying stories, Argente hadn’t experienced any trouble sleeping.  
  
There was a slight blush at the admission, but it was the truth. “Old My Little Pony cartoons before bed.”  
  
"I appreciate the information. Thank you." The android paused, really not being certain of whether he should continue the thought. It did seem important, however. "Though I would also ask that you promise not to look up ‘My Little Pony’ creepypastas."  
  
"I won’t." Argente responded much too quickly. Several seconds later, he asked, "Care Bears?"  
  
"Not those either." Kurou confirmed.  
  
"What about—"  
  
"Assume everything has been fundamentally damaged by creepypastas by now." The android advised.


End file.
